Multiple wash basins are typically installed in non-residential applications. For instance, public restrooms or company restrooms will often have a plurality of wash basins so a number of people can simultaneously attend to their washing needs. If separate wash basins are installed, numerous components are required. Each wash basin must be mounted on the floor or wall independently, and separate plumbing, such as separate supply lines and drainage lines, must be connected for each wash basin. This results in a complex and time-consuming on-site installation which can dramatically increase the costs of constructing the restroom. Additionally, each wash basin unit must be separately measured and mounted to meet various building code requirements regarding, among other things, accessibility.
These problems are not new to the building industry nor have they escaped the attention of others. Various attempts have been made over the years to construct multiple wash basin systems. For example, in Humphrey, U.S. Pat. No. 206,454, issued Jul. 30, 1878, a washstand for factories, prisons, etc. is disclosed. That washstand includes a number of wash basins arranged across from each other so that several people can wash themselves at the same time. The wash basins are all filled and discharged simultaneously through a common feed pipe and a discharge pipe, respectively. This system, of course, would be impractical in modern day restrooms since there is no independent control for water flow to and drainage from each wash basin. Additionally, the system would be uncomfortable for people to use, since the system does not provide a sense of privacy, a factor known to be important when people use multiple wash basin systems in clear view of one another.
Another example is Leland, U.S. Pat. No. 1,323,398, issued Dec. 2, 1919, which shows a system having multiple wash basins disposed across from one another. A problem with this system is that it uses individual wash basins requiring the manufacture and assembly of a greater number of components. This results in inefficiency, both in manufacturing the separate wash basins and in the assembly of the system. Additionally, the overall structure does not provide a sense of privacy for the individuals using it. Also, it would be difficult to place the structure along a wall as commonly done in modern construction.
In Cullen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,810,916, issued Oct. 29, 1957, a lavatory is disclosed, having a plurality of wash basins arranged in circular fashion. This lavatory is designed to provide the greatest number of washing areas in a minimum amount of space for use in such applications as aboard ships. Accordingly, the individuals using the lavatory stand in a circle generally facing one another as they wash. Such a design provides no sense of privacy for the individuals using the wash basins and provides minimal space on which to set various toiletries. Additionally, such a design is not easily connected along a wall as is typical in most building construction.
Another system is shown in German Patent No. 2,304,815, dated Aug. 8, 1974. As illustrated by the figures in that patent, the system uses a modular construction having multiple wash basins. Again, the disclosure shows individual wash basins which are less efficient to manufacture and install. The triangular construction of the system also makes it less space efficient while requiring individual users to stand disposed at least partially towards one another.
The present invention overcomes various drawbacks of the prior art systems discussed above.